Charting the Course to Success!
NEWSLETTER www.ssda.org
Small School Districts Association
925 L Street, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax: (916) 443-7468 Tel: (916) 662-7213
“Charting the Course to Success!”
In this issue:
January/February 2016
10 Tips to Avoid a Disconnect in School Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Tips For Driving In Severe Wet Weather . . . . . . 6
President Signs Every Student Succeeds Act, Shifts Power to States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
State Support Coming for Low and Zero-Emission School Buses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Spotlight: Bradley Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . 5
New Compromise on Prop 30 Extension Initiatives . . 15
Student and Campus Safety Starts Here . . . . . . . . . . 9
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Call Ken Mills (530)230-4876 to arrange a 15 min consultation with our Education team. More than 500 Educational Institutions chose the Ray Morgan Company to reduce costs and increase efficiency. State Cer tified Provider Purchasing Agreements Special In-House Financing • Microsoft Certified Provider • Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program
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• Budget enhancing • No debt created
January/February 2016
10 Tips to Avoid a Disconnect in School Communication Chris Buecksler, Blackboard, Inc. You hear it all the time. Effective school communication is at the heart of engaged families, involved communities, and student success. While this is true, it can be hard to pinpoint how to optimize your communication strategy if you don’t know the areas where you need improvement. Blackboard has developed ten tips to avoid a disconnect in your K-12 school communication. How can you be sure these tips will help? Because they were developed by surveying educators and parents, listening to your peers, and consulting with research experts. 1. Know your community What is your demographic breakdown? Is the majority of your community over 65? If so, traditional communication may be a more effective way to reach them than social media channels. Do you have a lot of young parents? If so, push notifications sent through your mobile app may be an effective channel to send news updates. 2. Be targeted
dren’s districts and schools use social media. It’s hard to gain adoption from your families and community if you don’t tell them all the ways you’re sending messages. 4. Pay attention to preferences In a recent survey about educators’ communication preferences, in some cases they can be dramatically different than parents’ communication preferences . As district and school leaders, you need to listen to the needs and wants of your families and communities rather than relying on the channels you think are best. 73% of parents want to learn about their child’s academic performance via email, so it’s important to send them that kind of information via email. If communities want to know about sporting events through your website, then post that information right on your home page. 5. Urgent matters need urgent communication Adapt communication to fit every situation.
“Report cards will be posted next week!”
3. Socialize your channels
You wouldn’t send a snow day announcement in the mail? The same logical stance should be applied to all your school communication. Emergency and time sensitive information should be sent through mobile channels, like text messages and social media, to devices that people carry on them at all times – like smartphones and tablets. And that’s what parents want —72% said they prefer text messages for emergency notification, even though only 16% of principals prefer sending communication through that channel.
Are you using the same channels to communicate that your parents think you use? Over 80% of communication leaders say their district has a social media presence, but only 46% of parents think their chil-
Click here for more information on the survey results that identify parent preferences in district and school communications.
Such exciting news – but not necessarily for all your audiences. Students, parents, and families are always interested in academic information. However, the wider community may not find this news as exciting because they aren’t connected to a student with a report card. Be mindful of who will be impacted by your news and announcements and target them at the correct audience.
To read the rest of the tips, visit the Blackboard Blog.
Discover the missing pieces of your communications strategy Classroom & school websites
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Mobile app
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Social media manager
Having the ability to send messages to every device through text, voice, social media, mobile app, website and push notifications enables your district to effectively reach every audience, everywhere, in more than 60 languages.
Does your district have all the pieces to build a successful communications strategy? Page 3
January/February 2016
President Signs Every Student Succeeds Act, Shifts Power to States Caitlin Jung Capitol Advisors Group, LLC In December, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the compromise bill to reauthorize and rewrite No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Passed by bipartisan votes in both the House and the Senate, the ESSA retains many of the key tenets of NCLB but also shifts significant authority from the federal government to states and local school districts. The ESSA removes the uniform penalties for failing to meet targets and the federal mandates on how to fix failing schools imposed under NCLB and instead allows each state to set its own statewide goals for districts and schools, to determine how to measure progress in meeting these goals, and how to identify and fix its worst performing schools. Below are the some of the key highlights of the compromise: • Additional support for rural schools. The ESSA provides for more flexible use of federal funding, allowing rural districts to implement programs more effectively and maintains the authorization of the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (SRSA) and the Rural and Low-Income School program. The Act also increases the minimum and maximum grant amounts for the SRSA to $25,000 and $80,000, respectively, if appropriations are $265,000,000 or more. • The NCLB testing system stays in place. Under the ESSA, states are required, as they already currently are, to test students annually in math and reading in grades 3-8 and once in high school and three times in science between grades 3-12. States must also continue to publically report test scores according to disability, ethnicity, income, race, and whether a student is an English-language learner. States, however, will now have more flexibility in how and when they administer these tests. SSDA
• States must now set their own academic goals. As opposed to the single nationwide goal of NCLB (i.e. 100% proficiency in math and reading by 2014), the ESSA requires a state to set statewide, long-term goals and interim progress targets for improving outcomes for all students and each student group. • Shift to State-designed accountability systems. The ESSA replaces the one-size-fits-all adequate yearly progress federal accountability system with individualized state-designed systems. States will submit a plan detailing their accountability systems to the Secretary of Education, who will only check the plan to make sure it is consistent with the law. The Act requires every state have an accountability system in place by the 2017-18 school year and provides that states must use multiple measures other than test scores to measure school performance, including academic achievement, gradation rates, English proficiency, and at least one non-academic indicator of school quality or student success. • States have sole authority when choosing academic standards. Under the ESSA, the federal government cannot mandate nor incentivize states to adopt or maintain a specific set of standards, including common core. • Burden now on states to identify and improve low performing schools. The ESSA requires that each state, as part of its accountability system, meaningfully differentiate between all the public schools in the state. The Act further provides that each state must publically identify and provide supports or interventions to the lowest performing 5% of Title I schools in the state and all high schools that graduate less than two-thirds of their students. States must set aside Title I funds for this purpose. The ESSA will go into full effect in the 2017-18 school year.
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January/February 2016
Spotlight: Bradley Elementary School Meehleis Modular prides itself on being able to adapt our unique construction methods to any job regardless of size or complexity. The classrooms for Bradley Union School District are the perfect example of this as we provided a modular solution to a small school district’s needs. With a student population fewer than 100 the district needed to update and expand their facilities while staying within a tight budget. Located roughly 20 miles north of Paso Robles, the expansion of Bradley Elementary School was completed in 2014 and is comprised of a double classroom building totaling 1,920 sq. ft. The facilities were designed to optimize the use of natural lighting with large floor to ceiling windows, translating to more energy efficient classrooms. High efficiency lighting was used for cloudy days and the large windows have significant overhangs to shield the classrooms from direct sun light mitigating temperature swings. Gas service for the site was not possible so Meehleis included quiet, high efficiency, electric heat pumps to heat and cool the buildings. This, coupled with our use of recycled steel, responsibly harvested lumber (FSE Certified), low-e coatings, and our own in plant recycling techniques make for a classroom that is gentle on the environment yet still durable. A true slab on grade design bolsters the structure’s reliability and puts it on par with similar buildings that last more than 50 years. All this was achieved with our proven modular method. The classrooms were intelligently designed resulting in just two and a half months of construction time. Saving time and money when compared to the site built methods of construction. For more information on Meehleis Modular Buildings and the services we provide call, click, or stop by. Mike Sinclair Vice President Bradley Project Manager 1303 E. Lodi Ave. Lodi, California 95240 www.meehleis.com (209) 334-4637
SSDA
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January/February 2016
Safety Tips For Driving In Severe Wet Weather Cindy Wilkerson, Keenan & Associates
At small school districts, staffing is mostly likely stretched. It is important to provide wet weather driving safety information to employees to not only keep them safe, but to also keep your district operating to its highest potential during wet weather. Wet and severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Conditions are the most dangerous during the first 10 minutes of a heavy downpour as oil and debris wash away. When the rain starts to fall and pavement is wet, your likelihood of a crash is higher than during wintry conditions like snow, sleet and ice, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). After averaging 10 years of statistics, NHTSA researchers found that 46 percent of weather-related crashes happened during rainfall, but just 17 percent while it was snowing or sleeting. Below are several wet weather driving tips to follow: Equipment: • Always keep a cell phone and charger in your vehicle for emergency use. • Before it starts to rain, replace old or brittle wipers. In addition, motorists should regularly check that their headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn signals are working properly.
SSDA
• Make certain your tires are properly inflated. A tire’s recommended inflation pressure can be found in small typeface on the side of the tire near the rim. Check your tire tread on a regular basis. Bald tires significantly reduce your traction on wet roadways and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. Never mix radial tires with other tire types. • Become familiar with your vehicle’s Traction Control features and Antilock Braking System, as they are made for rainy days. These systems prevent the wheels from slipping on wet pavement and help the driver maintain control when stopping or accelerating in the rain. • When you begin a trip in rain, your shoes will be wet and may slip off the pedals. Scuff the soles on the rubber matting or carpeting of the car before you start the engine. • Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle. • Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
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January/February 2016
Safety Tips For Driving In Severe Wet Weather Continued from page 6
• Avoid using your brakes excessively; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down. • Driving through water affects your brakes, reducing their effectiveness until they dry out. • Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Not only do they help you see the road, but they will help other drivers see you. If your car has daytime running lights you still should put them on, so vehicles behind you can see you better. While driving: • Slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather. People are so used to driving certain speeds on certain roads that sometimes they forget the need to slow down in wet weather. • Avoid driving while you are fatigued to ensure you will remain alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions. • Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes. • Maintain proper following distance. The “3 Second Rule” should be increased to 5 seconds in wet weather. • Drive in the tracks created by the car ahead of you. • Do not follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your visibility. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so promptly and safely.
SSDA
• Never drive around barricades at water crossings. • Never drive beyond the limits of visibility. At night, rainy roads become especially dangerous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windshield, can cause temporary loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue. In rainy conditions pedestrians, livestock, and wildlife are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid. • Be aware that road erosion can occur anytime there is running or standing water on a roadway. • When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull off of the road and wait for the rain to ease up. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position. • If you end up in water, immediately abandon your vehicle, exit through a window and climb on top of your car. Call 9-1-1 from there and wait for help to arrive. Ride the top like a boat, as vehicles will often float for several minutes.
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Keenan & Associates is a full service broker that provides high quality, innovative products and services that add value, increase reliability and provide financial security for school districts’ employee benefits, retirement, workers’ compensation and property and liability programs. Keenan offers several online training courses specific to safe driving. We offer live training sessions as well. Please contact us for additional information regarding these sessions.
January/February 2016
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Student and Campus Safety Starts Here Danielle Vienna, SafeSchools Campus Management For school administrators nothing is more important than school and student safety. The list of potential risks to students grows bigger each school year – from monitoring daily student activity and attendance to crisis situations needing immediate action – the list of needs to ensure a safe school environment are constantly growing. It was the goal of SafeSchools to create a system that can constantly meet the evolving needs of schools in a customized way for each individual educational institution. When we were first approached about SafeSchools it was to help a local school with their event management. The problem they faced was the disconnect between parents, students, and the school. The problem came to light during a campus event where administration was overwhelmed by the amount of phone calls received from worried parents wanting to know the whereabouts of their student and the details of their attendance. The school felt they lacked a direct line of communication to parents and a way to monitor student activity effectively and efficiently. What initially started as a one module concept turned into a complete system built to anticipate and help with everyday problems that most schools face. SafeSchools Campus Management is a modular and scalable student safety and campus management system designed for use in all school environments, including preschool, K-12, and higher education. The SafeSchools components can be implemented as a comprehensive system or independently depending on specific school or district requirements. The modules include Student Monitoring, Event Management, Emergency Management, Visitor Security, and Transporta-
SSDA
tion Control. Each module contains different applications designed to solve specific school in order to create the most effective system for users and administrators. Another major component of the system is that it has direct interface access to existing student information systems. For every module within the system the ultimate result is increased school and student safety. Visitor Security allows school personnel to identify and background check all incoming guests and campus visitors. Through the scanning of each driver’s license the information is stored and cross referenced across multiple databases to ensure that no conflicting issues exist. ID’s are also ran against student restricted lists, meaning if there is someone who is not allowed contact with a student they will be flagged immediately when attempting student or campus access. The Event Management module was designed to easily manage all student and guest attendance during on and off campus events. Events can be a variety of things such as school dances, test monitoring, athletics, assemblies, and extra period classes. Event details can be monitored for each student with attendance access, entry/exit time and date stamps, and have the ability to sync with non-student guests. Parents are able to receive student specific alerts and updates providing peace of mind as to where their child is and who they are with. Attendance and truancy issues come into play with the Student Monitoring portion of the system, where parents have
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January/February 2016
School safety starts with controlling what you can control.
Helping protect our children everyday. SafeSchools Campus Management is a modular and scalable student safety and campus management system that was designed for use in all school environments including pre-school, K-12, and higher education. SafeSchools provides school administrators with the tools they need to track student movement and better manage complex campus activities while enhancing the safety of students. The system supports student
VISITOR SECURITY STUDENT MONITORING EVENT MANAGEMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT T R A N S P O R TA T I O N C O N T R O L
attendance, test monitoring, parental notifications, bus route tracking, emergency situation alerts, and much more.
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Student and Campus Safety Starts Here Continued from page 9 the ability to pre-arrange absences, early releases, and authorize guests for alternative student pickup. It also gives parents and administration access to general attendance records, allowing for notifications to be sent for unscheduled absences, tardies, sign-out attempts, and view timestamp details for all campus check-ins and check-outs. The idea behind SafeSchools newest addition, the Emergency Management module, came directly from a conversation with a school district who had recently experienced a school shooting. During the tragedy school administrators not only had to deal with safety protocol, but with the panic that ensued when parents, police, and media arrived on the scene. In the midst of evacuating students, working with law enforcement, and crowd control with concerned parents, it became clear that there were multiple factors that desperately needed a so-
SSDA
lution. SafeSchools Emergency Management provides school administrators, campus police, and local law enforcement the ability to instantaneously access and view both school and student information from all facilities within a school, group, or district. It has a notification process that allows administrators and police to send alerts to parents/guardians in regards to general crisis information, situation updates, and individual student status. It also assists in the relocating and evacuation of students and provides up-to-date location information for student/parent reunification. The great thing about SafeSchools Campus Management is that it continues to grow and change. Our modules continue to expand with new features as new student and safety issues arise. We spend our time figuring out solutions so that school administrators can focus on what really matters – students and their education.
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January/February 2016
THE FACILITY PROBLEM SOLVERS ABOUT SCHOOLWORKS SchoolWorks is a proven leader in the field of facility planning and demographic analysis. Formed in 2002 by Kenneth R. Reynolds, our firm has developed a special relationship with the small school districts of California. As a proud member of SSDA, our experienced and passionate team of professionals are dedicated to guiding your district through the unique challenges of school facility planning.
SchoolWorks THE SCHOOLWORKS MISSION SERVICES
•Developer Fee Studies •Modernization Eligibility •New Construction Eligibility •Facility Master Plans •Enrollment Projections
•State Funding Applications •Boundary Studies •GIS Planning Software •School Locator
Take pride in developing trusting personal relationships. Our unique hands-on approach makes us more than just another facility planning consultant. Our goal is to become an extension of your staff. We value integrity and going the extra mile to make sure we provide the highest in quality service.
www.SchoolWorksgis.com 916.733.0402
FACILITY PLANNING & DEMOGRAPHICS Providing valuable and affordable facility planning services to California Small School Districts.
DEVELOPER FEES | STATE BUILDING PROGRAM | DEMOGRAPHICS | ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS | FACILITY MASTER PLANS
Contact us today for our special fall offers on Developer Fee Studies SSDA
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January/February 2016
State Support Coming for Low and Zero-Emission School Buses • Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) - $5 million
Erin Evans-Fudem Capitol Advisors Group, LLC New state funds for purchasing school buses that run on renewable fuels are expected to be available in 2016. In addition to millions of dollars of funding for which school districts may be eligible, rural schools may be eligible for an additional dedicated funding source. This proposed state investment is the first of its kind to specifically target rural school districts. During negotiations over the 2015-16 State Budget, $350 million was expected to be appropriated to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for the purpose of investing in low carbon vehicles, including school buses, through its Low Carbon Transportation Investments program and Air Quality Improvement Plan. The ARB developed and passed a comprehensive plan to spend these funds in June 2015. In normal years, the State Budget would have appropriated these funds, grant applications would be collected, and then grants would be awarded. This, however, year was not normal. Political dynamics in the State Capitol slowed the roll out of funding. As you may recall, the 2015-16 State Budget took some unusual twists and turns this year. The Legislature did not reach a deal through the normal budget process to spend the full proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auction—the funding source for low carbon vehicle investments. Instead, the Legislature reached a late deal (September 2015) to appropriate approximately one-third of the funds the ARB was expecting to receive. Modified ARB Funding Plan – Limited Appropriation Based on the partial appropriation by the Legislature, the ARB modified its funding plan in October to reflect the Legislature’s partial appropriation of funds to these programs. The modified plan allocates funds to existing programs, while deferring implementation of new programs. Because the dedicated funding to rural schools was a new program, implementation has been deferred until the Legislature makes a further appropriation. Current funding allocations for relevant programs:
• Zero-Emission Bus Pilot Commercial Deployment Projects - implementation deferred • Rural School Bus Set Aside - implementation deferred
SSDA
ARB Funding Plan – Full Appropriation If the Legislature takes additional action next year to appropriate more of the funds that the ARB expected to receive in fiscal year 2015-16, the ARB is prepared to move forward with funding for new programs. This would include rural school bus funding as well as other school bus funding district can access. Proposed funding allocations for relevant programs:
• Zero-Emission Bus Pilot Commercial Deployment Projects - $45 million • Rural School Bus Set Aside - $5 million (of the $45 million for zero-emission buses) • Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) - $10 million Despite the hurdles in the Capitol, ARB has begun accepting grant applications for some of the funding to pilot low and zero-emission vehicles. Eligible grantees include local air districts, transit agencies, school districts, and other public and non-profit entities. As part of their efforts to receive grants, air districts are reaching out to school districts and other entities to assist with development of a grant application. Identifying end user partners gives the grantee an edge in award selection. As we know, rural and small school districts operate with little budgetary wiggle-room. The potential funding stream for rural school buses is a unique chance for the state to pilot investment in this area. A successful roll out of funding and demonstration of the efficacy and efficiency of low and zeroemission school buses could lead to a much greater investment in similar programs in the future. In addition to replacing fleets of dirty school buses with clean, renewable energy school buses, this program will have a positive impact on our air quality and the health of our school children. California, through the leadership of the ARB, is inching closer to making environmentally friendly school buses a reality. For more information contact your regional air quality management district, or feel free to contact Erin Evans-Fudem at (916) 557-9745 or [email protected].
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January/February 2016
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January/February 2016
New Compromise on Prop 30 Extension Initiatives Gerry Shelton Capitol Advisors Group
A new initiative to extend portions of Prop 30 was recently filed with the Secretary of State for the November 2016 ballot. The new proposal, entitled “The California Children’s Education And Health Care Protection Act of 2016,” reflects a compromise between the California Teacher’s Association (CTA) and members of the health care community. Recall that two initiatives proposing to extend the Prop 30 taxes were previously filed. The first, “The School Funding and Budget Stability Act of 2016,” was supported by CTA and proposed to temporarily extend the income tax rates under Prop 30 until 2030. Under the CTA proposal, all the revenue generated would be allocated to the Education Protected Account and be required to be spent solely on education. The second, “The Invest in California’s Children Act” was supported by a coalition of health care interests and proposed to extend the Prop 30 tax rates permanently. Under this initiative, the revenue generated would be divided amongst four separate accounts, including one for education, one for Medi-Cal, one for childcare and early childhood education, and a rainy day fund. SSDA
The California Children’s Education And Health Care Protection Act of 2016, essentially retains the same basic proposals that were made in the original CTA initiative, including providing for the temporary extension of the Prop 30 income tax rates until 2030. However, the compromise initiative also includes an allocation of funds to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) if certain revenue levels are met. Under this new initiative, if the Director of Finance estimates that the revenue generated exceeds the amount of revenue necessary to meet specified funding requirements, 45% of the remaining funds, up to a cap of $2 billion, will be allocated from the Education Protection Account to the DHCS. The measure further provides that any funding allocated to the DHCS can only be used for critical, emergency, acute and preventative healthcare services to children and their families and for health plans that manage the provision of healthcare for Medi-Cal beneficiaries that are contracting with the DHCS to provide the above listed health benefits. The compromise initiative is scheduled to get a title and summary from the Attorney General on February 8th, after which the measure’s proponents will be cleared to start collecting the 585,407 signatures they need for the initiative to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. To the extent that this compromise proposal to extend the Prop 30 taxes leads to combined support from the education and health care communities, and to the abandonment of the two original initiatives, this will certainly improve the chances for success on next November’s ballot.
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January/February 2016
Plan for the future A SMARTER WAY TO USE PROP 39 FUNDS With prop 39 entering its third year, the need to partner with an experienced company who can take you from conception to completion is critical. McKinstry is your single point of accountability for planning, prioritizing, auditing, designing, building, measuring, and reporting on Prop 39 projects. We aim to remove waste, create predictable results, guarantee outcomes, and radically cut costs. Our experience with small school districts is vast and includes building one of the first LEED Silver elementary schools for a district with 89% of students below the poverty line; helping a district of eight schools become one of highest performing schools in the nation, earning recognition as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School; and helping another district earn the Rural School District of the Year
“The McKinstry team was interested in seeing that the job was done correctly and to the satisfaction of our district. While Oak Ridge is a small, rural school district, we are still an important client to McKinstry.” —Dr. Gerald Landewee, Oak Ridge School District
award by the Missouri Association of Rural Education.
415.914.2200 mckinstry.com SSDA
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January/February 2016
Small School Districts Association
925 L Street, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax: (916) 443-7468 Tel: (916) 662-7213
“Charting the Course to Success!”
In this issue:
January/February 2016
10 Tips to Avoid a Disconnect in School Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Tips For Driving In Severe Wet Weather . . . . . . 6
President Signs Every Student Succeeds Act, Shifts Power to States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
State Support Coming for Low and Zero-Emission School Buses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Spotlight: Bradley Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . 5
New Compromise on Prop 30 Extension Initiatives . . 15
Student and Campus Safety Starts Here . . . . . . . . . . 9
Ray Morgan Company DOCUMENT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Visit our New Education Solutions Website www.raymorgan.com/education/
Mobile Learning Solutions
Electronic Content Management Document Technology Solutions that make the grade • Document Scanning & Indexing • Integration With All Software • Back-File Conversions • Complete Document Security • Statement / Invoice Processing • Automated Forms Processing • Facilitate Compliance with Record keeping Regulations • HR On-Boarding Workflows
Slate Tablet Paper Tablet
Samsung Galaxy Note Tablet
• Personalized Learning • Increased Interactivity • Classroom Management • Student Monitoring • In Lesson Student Assessment • Samsung Tablets & Chromebooks
NEVER LOSE A DOCUMENT AGAIN!
Call Ken Mills (530)230-4876 to arrange a 15 min consultation with our Education team. More than 500 Educational Institutions chose the Ray Morgan Company to reduce costs and increase efficiency. State Cer tified Provider Purchasing Agreements Special In-House Financing • Microsoft Certified Provider • Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program
SSDA
• Cal State/UC piggyback • CMAS • Streamlined procurement • US Communities Page 2
• Budget enhancing • No debt created
January/February 2016
10 Tips to Avoid a Disconnect in School Communication Chris Buecksler, Blackboard, Inc. You hear it all the time. Effective school communication is at the heart of engaged families, involved communities, and student success. While this is true, it can be hard to pinpoint how to optimize your communication strategy if you don’t know the areas where you need improvement. Blackboard has developed ten tips to avoid a disconnect in your K-12 school communication. How can you be sure these tips will help? Because they were developed by surveying educators and parents, listening to your peers, and consulting with research experts. 1. Know your community What is your demographic breakdown? Is the majority of your community over 65? If so, traditional communication may be a more effective way to reach them than social media channels. Do you have a lot of young parents? If so, push notifications sent through your mobile app may be an effective channel to send news updates. 2. Be targeted
dren’s districts and schools use social media. It’s hard to gain adoption from your families and community if you don’t tell them all the ways you’re sending messages. 4. Pay attention to preferences In a recent survey about educators’ communication preferences, in some cases they can be dramatically different than parents’ communication preferences . As district and school leaders, you need to listen to the needs and wants of your families and communities rather than relying on the channels you think are best. 73% of parents want to learn about their child’s academic performance via email, so it’s important to send them that kind of information via email. If communities want to know about sporting events through your website, then post that information right on your home page. 5. Urgent matters need urgent communication Adapt communication to fit every situation.
“Report cards will be posted next week!”
3. Socialize your channels
You wouldn’t send a snow day announcement in the mail? The same logical stance should be applied to all your school communication. Emergency and time sensitive information should be sent through mobile channels, like text messages and social media, to devices that people carry on them at all times – like smartphones and tablets. And that’s what parents want —72% said they prefer text messages for emergency notification, even though only 16% of principals prefer sending communication through that channel.
Are you using the same channels to communicate that your parents think you use? Over 80% of communication leaders say their district has a social media presence, but only 46% of parents think their chil-
Click here for more information on the survey results that identify parent preferences in district and school communications.
Such exciting news – but not necessarily for all your audiences. Students, parents, and families are always interested in academic information. However, the wider community may not find this news as exciting because they aren’t connected to a student with a report card. Be mindful of who will be impacted by your news and announcements and target them at the correct audience.
To read the rest of the tips, visit the Blackboard Blog.
Discover the missing pieces of your communications strategy Classroom & school websites
Mass notification
Mobile app
SSDA
Social media manager
Having the ability to send messages to every device through text, voice, social media, mobile app, website and push notifications enables your district to effectively reach every audience, everywhere, in more than 60 languages.
Does your district have all the pieces to build a successful communications strategy? Page 3
January/February 2016
President Signs Every Student Succeeds Act, Shifts Power to States Caitlin Jung Capitol Advisors Group, LLC In December, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the compromise bill to reauthorize and rewrite No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Passed by bipartisan votes in both the House and the Senate, the ESSA retains many of the key tenets of NCLB but also shifts significant authority from the federal government to states and local school districts. The ESSA removes the uniform penalties for failing to meet targets and the federal mandates on how to fix failing schools imposed under NCLB and instead allows each state to set its own statewide goals for districts and schools, to determine how to measure progress in meeting these goals, and how to identify and fix its worst performing schools. Below are the some of the key highlights of the compromise: • Additional support for rural schools. The ESSA provides for more flexible use of federal funding, allowing rural districts to implement programs more effectively and maintains the authorization of the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (SRSA) and the Rural and Low-Income School program. The Act also increases the minimum and maximum grant amounts for the SRSA to $25,000 and $80,000, respectively, if appropriations are $265,000,000 or more. • The NCLB testing system stays in place. Under the ESSA, states are required, as they already currently are, to test students annually in math and reading in grades 3-8 and once in high school and three times in science between grades 3-12. States must also continue to publically report test scores according to disability, ethnicity, income, race, and whether a student is an English-language learner. States, however, will now have more flexibility in how and when they administer these tests. SSDA
• States must now set their own academic goals. As opposed to the single nationwide goal of NCLB (i.e. 100% proficiency in math and reading by 2014), the ESSA requires a state to set statewide, long-term goals and interim progress targets for improving outcomes for all students and each student group. • Shift to State-designed accountability systems. The ESSA replaces the one-size-fits-all adequate yearly progress federal accountability system with individualized state-designed systems. States will submit a plan detailing their accountability systems to the Secretary of Education, who will only check the plan to make sure it is consistent with the law. The Act requires every state have an accountability system in place by the 2017-18 school year and provides that states must use multiple measures other than test scores to measure school performance, including academic achievement, gradation rates, English proficiency, and at least one non-academic indicator of school quality or student success. • States have sole authority when choosing academic standards. Under the ESSA, the federal government cannot mandate nor incentivize states to adopt or maintain a specific set of standards, including common core. • Burden now on states to identify and improve low performing schools. The ESSA requires that each state, as part of its accountability system, meaningfully differentiate between all the public schools in the state. The Act further provides that each state must publically identify and provide supports or interventions to the lowest performing 5% of Title I schools in the state and all high schools that graduate less than two-thirds of their students. States must set aside Title I funds for this purpose. The ESSA will go into full effect in the 2017-18 school year.
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January/February 2016
Spotlight: Bradley Elementary School Meehleis Modular prides itself on being able to adapt our unique construction methods to any job regardless of size or complexity. The classrooms for Bradley Union School District are the perfect example of this as we provided a modular solution to a small school district’s needs. With a student population fewer than 100 the district needed to update and expand their facilities while staying within a tight budget. Located roughly 20 miles north of Paso Robles, the expansion of Bradley Elementary School was completed in 2014 and is comprised of a double classroom building totaling 1,920 sq. ft. The facilities were designed to optimize the use of natural lighting with large floor to ceiling windows, translating to more energy efficient classrooms. High efficiency lighting was used for cloudy days and the large windows have significant overhangs to shield the classrooms from direct sun light mitigating temperature swings. Gas service for the site was not possible so Meehleis included quiet, high efficiency, electric heat pumps to heat and cool the buildings. This, coupled with our use of recycled steel, responsibly harvested lumber (FSE Certified), low-e coatings, and our own in plant recycling techniques make for a classroom that is gentle on the environment yet still durable. A true slab on grade design bolsters the structure’s reliability and puts it on par with similar buildings that last more than 50 years. All this was achieved with our proven modular method. The classrooms were intelligently designed resulting in just two and a half months of construction time. Saving time and money when compared to the site built methods of construction. For more information on Meehleis Modular Buildings and the services we provide call, click, or stop by. Mike Sinclair Vice President Bradley Project Manager 1303 E. Lodi Ave. Lodi, California 95240 www.meehleis.com (209) 334-4637
SSDA
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January/February 2016
Safety Tips For Driving In Severe Wet Weather Cindy Wilkerson, Keenan & Associates
At small school districts, staffing is mostly likely stretched. It is important to provide wet weather driving safety information to employees to not only keep them safe, but to also keep your district operating to its highest potential during wet weather. Wet and severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Conditions are the most dangerous during the first 10 minutes of a heavy downpour as oil and debris wash away. When the rain starts to fall and pavement is wet, your likelihood of a crash is higher than during wintry conditions like snow, sleet and ice, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). After averaging 10 years of statistics, NHTSA researchers found that 46 percent of weather-related crashes happened during rainfall, but just 17 percent while it was snowing or sleeting. Below are several wet weather driving tips to follow: Equipment: • Always keep a cell phone and charger in your vehicle for emergency use. • Before it starts to rain, replace old or brittle wipers. In addition, motorists should regularly check that their headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn signals are working properly.
SSDA
• Make certain your tires are properly inflated. A tire’s recommended inflation pressure can be found in small typeface on the side of the tire near the rim. Check your tire tread on a regular basis. Bald tires significantly reduce your traction on wet roadways and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. Never mix radial tires with other tire types. • Become familiar with your vehicle’s Traction Control features and Antilock Braking System, as they are made for rainy days. These systems prevent the wheels from slipping on wet pavement and help the driver maintain control when stopping or accelerating in the rain. • When you begin a trip in rain, your shoes will be wet and may slip off the pedals. Scuff the soles on the rubber matting or carpeting of the car before you start the engine. • Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle. • Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
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January/February 2016
Safety Tips For Driving In Severe Wet Weather Continued from page 6
• Avoid using your brakes excessively; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down. • Driving through water affects your brakes, reducing their effectiveness until they dry out. • Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Not only do they help you see the road, but they will help other drivers see you. If your car has daytime running lights you still should put them on, so vehicles behind you can see you better. While driving: • Slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather. People are so used to driving certain speeds on certain roads that sometimes they forget the need to slow down in wet weather. • Avoid driving while you are fatigued to ensure you will remain alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions. • Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes. • Maintain proper following distance. The “3 Second Rule” should be increased to 5 seconds in wet weather. • Drive in the tracks created by the car ahead of you. • Do not follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your visibility. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so promptly and safely.
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• Never drive around barricades at water crossings. • Never drive beyond the limits of visibility. At night, rainy roads become especially dangerous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windshield, can cause temporary loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue. In rainy conditions pedestrians, livestock, and wildlife are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid. • Be aware that road erosion can occur anytime there is running or standing water on a roadway. • When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull off of the road and wait for the rain to ease up. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position. • If you end up in water, immediately abandon your vehicle, exit through a window and climb on top of your car. Call 9-1-1 from there and wait for help to arrive. Ride the top like a boat, as vehicles will often float for several minutes.
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Keenan & Associates is a full service broker that provides high quality, innovative products and services that add value, increase reliability and provide financial security for school districts’ employee benefits, retirement, workers’ compensation and property and liability programs. Keenan offers several online training courses specific to safe driving. We offer live training sessions as well. Please contact us for additional information regarding these sessions.
January/February 2016
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Student and Campus Safety Starts Here Danielle Vienna, SafeSchools Campus Management For school administrators nothing is more important than school and student safety. The list of potential risks to students grows bigger each school year – from monitoring daily student activity and attendance to crisis situations needing immediate action – the list of needs to ensure a safe school environment are constantly growing. It was the goal of SafeSchools to create a system that can constantly meet the evolving needs of schools in a customized way for each individual educational institution. When we were first approached about SafeSchools it was to help a local school with their event management. The problem they faced was the disconnect between parents, students, and the school. The problem came to light during a campus event where administration was overwhelmed by the amount of phone calls received from worried parents wanting to know the whereabouts of their student and the details of their attendance. The school felt they lacked a direct line of communication to parents and a way to monitor student activity effectively and efficiently. What initially started as a one module concept turned into a complete system built to anticipate and help with everyday problems that most schools face. SafeSchools Campus Management is a modular and scalable student safety and campus management system designed for use in all school environments, including preschool, K-12, and higher education. The SafeSchools components can be implemented as a comprehensive system or independently depending on specific school or district requirements. The modules include Student Monitoring, Event Management, Emergency Management, Visitor Security, and Transporta-
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tion Control. Each module contains different applications designed to solve specific school in order to create the most effective system for users and administrators. Another major component of the system is that it has direct interface access to existing student information systems. For every module within the system the ultimate result is increased school and student safety. Visitor Security allows school personnel to identify and background check all incoming guests and campus visitors. Through the scanning of each driver’s license the information is stored and cross referenced across multiple databases to ensure that no conflicting issues exist. ID’s are also ran against student restricted lists, meaning if there is someone who is not allowed contact with a student they will be flagged immediately when attempting student or campus access. The Event Management module was designed to easily manage all student and guest attendance during on and off campus events. Events can be a variety of things such as school dances, test monitoring, athletics, assemblies, and extra period classes. Event details can be monitored for each student with attendance access, entry/exit time and date stamps, and have the ability to sync with non-student guests. Parents are able to receive student specific alerts and updates providing peace of mind as to where their child is and who they are with. Attendance and truancy issues come into play with the Student Monitoring portion of the system, where parents have
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January/February 2016
School safety starts with controlling what you can control.
Helping protect our children everyday. SafeSchools Campus Management is a modular and scalable student safety and campus management system that was designed for use in all school environments including pre-school, K-12, and higher education. SafeSchools provides school administrators with the tools they need to track student movement and better manage complex campus activities while enhancing the safety of students. The system supports student
VISITOR SECURITY STUDENT MONITORING EVENT MANAGEMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT T R A N S P O R TA T I O N C O N T R O L
attendance, test monitoring, parental notifications, bus route tracking, emergency situation alerts, and much more.
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Student and Campus Safety Starts Here Continued from page 9 the ability to pre-arrange absences, early releases, and authorize guests for alternative student pickup. It also gives parents and administration access to general attendance records, allowing for notifications to be sent for unscheduled absences, tardies, sign-out attempts, and view timestamp details for all campus check-ins and check-outs. The idea behind SafeSchools newest addition, the Emergency Management module, came directly from a conversation with a school district who had recently experienced a school shooting. During the tragedy school administrators not only had to deal with safety protocol, but with the panic that ensued when parents, police, and media arrived on the scene. In the midst of evacuating students, working with law enforcement, and crowd control with concerned parents, it became clear that there were multiple factors that desperately needed a so-
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lution. SafeSchools Emergency Management provides school administrators, campus police, and local law enforcement the ability to instantaneously access and view both school and student information from all facilities within a school, group, or district. It has a notification process that allows administrators and police to send alerts to parents/guardians in regards to general crisis information, situation updates, and individual student status. It also assists in the relocating and evacuation of students and provides up-to-date location information for student/parent reunification. The great thing about SafeSchools Campus Management is that it continues to grow and change. Our modules continue to expand with new features as new student and safety issues arise. We spend our time figuring out solutions so that school administrators can focus on what really matters – students and their education.
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January/February 2016
THE FACILITY PROBLEM SOLVERS ABOUT SCHOOLWORKS SchoolWorks is a proven leader in the field of facility planning and demographic analysis. Formed in 2002 by Kenneth R. Reynolds, our firm has developed a special relationship with the small school districts of California. As a proud member of SSDA, our experienced and passionate team of professionals are dedicated to guiding your district through the unique challenges of school facility planning.
SchoolWorks THE SCHOOLWORKS MISSION SERVICES
•Developer Fee Studies •Modernization Eligibility •New Construction Eligibility •Facility Master Plans •Enrollment Projections
•State Funding Applications •Boundary Studies •GIS Planning Software •School Locator
Take pride in developing trusting personal relationships. Our unique hands-on approach makes us more than just another facility planning consultant. Our goal is to become an extension of your staff. We value integrity and going the extra mile to make sure we provide the highest in quality service.
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January/February 2016
State Support Coming for Low and Zero-Emission School Buses • Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) - $5 million
Erin Evans-Fudem Capitol Advisors Group, LLC New state funds for purchasing school buses that run on renewable fuels are expected to be available in 2016. In addition to millions of dollars of funding for which school districts may be eligible, rural schools may be eligible for an additional dedicated funding source. This proposed state investment is the first of its kind to specifically target rural school districts. During negotiations over the 2015-16 State Budget, $350 million was expected to be appropriated to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for the purpose of investing in low carbon vehicles, including school buses, through its Low Carbon Transportation Investments program and Air Quality Improvement Plan. The ARB developed and passed a comprehensive plan to spend these funds in June 2015. In normal years, the State Budget would have appropriated these funds, grant applications would be collected, and then grants would be awarded. This, however, year was not normal. Political dynamics in the State Capitol slowed the roll out of funding. As you may recall, the 2015-16 State Budget took some unusual twists and turns this year. The Legislature did not reach a deal through the normal budget process to spend the full proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auction—the funding source for low carbon vehicle investments. Instead, the Legislature reached a late deal (September 2015) to appropriate approximately one-third of the funds the ARB was expecting to receive. Modified ARB Funding Plan – Limited Appropriation Based on the partial appropriation by the Legislature, the ARB modified its funding plan in October to reflect the Legislature’s partial appropriation of funds to these programs. The modified plan allocates funds to existing programs, while deferring implementation of new programs. Because the dedicated funding to rural schools was a new program, implementation has been deferred until the Legislature makes a further appropriation. Current funding allocations for relevant programs:
• Zero-Emission Bus Pilot Commercial Deployment Projects - implementation deferred • Rural School Bus Set Aside - implementation deferred
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ARB Funding Plan – Full Appropriation If the Legislature takes additional action next year to appropriate more of the funds that the ARB expected to receive in fiscal year 2015-16, the ARB is prepared to move forward with funding for new programs. This would include rural school bus funding as well as other school bus funding district can access. Proposed funding allocations for relevant programs:
• Zero-Emission Bus Pilot Commercial Deployment Projects - $45 million • Rural School Bus Set Aside - $5 million (of the $45 million for zero-emission buses) • Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) - $10 million Despite the hurdles in the Capitol, ARB has begun accepting grant applications for some of the funding to pilot low and zero-emission vehicles. Eligible grantees include local air districts, transit agencies, school districts, and other public and non-profit entities. As part of their efforts to receive grants, air districts are reaching out to school districts and other entities to assist with development of a grant application. Identifying end user partners gives the grantee an edge in award selection. As we know, rural and small school districts operate with little budgetary wiggle-room. The potential funding stream for rural school buses is a unique chance for the state to pilot investment in this area. A successful roll out of funding and demonstration of the efficacy and efficiency of low and zeroemission school buses could lead to a much greater investment in similar programs in the future. In addition to replacing fleets of dirty school buses with clean, renewable energy school buses, this program will have a positive impact on our air quality and the health of our school children. California, through the leadership of the ARB, is inching closer to making environmentally friendly school buses a reality. For more information contact your regional air quality management district, or feel free to contact Erin Evans-Fudem at (916) 557-9745 or [email protected].
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January/February 2016
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January/February 2016
New Compromise on Prop 30 Extension Initiatives Gerry Shelton Capitol Advisors Group
A new initiative to extend portions of Prop 30 was recently filed with the Secretary of State for the November 2016 ballot. The new proposal, entitled “The California Children’s Education And Health Care Protection Act of 2016,” reflects a compromise between the California Teacher’s Association (CTA) and members of the health care community. Recall that two initiatives proposing to extend the Prop 30 taxes were previously filed. The first, “The School Funding and Budget Stability Act of 2016,” was supported by CTA and proposed to temporarily extend the income tax rates under Prop 30 until 2030. Under the CTA proposal, all the revenue generated would be allocated to the Education Protected Account and be required to be spent solely on education. The second, “The Invest in California’s Children Act” was supported by a coalition of health care interests and proposed to extend the Prop 30 tax rates permanently. Under this initiative, the revenue generated would be divided amongst four separate accounts, including one for education, one for Medi-Cal, one for childcare and early childhood education, and a rainy day fund. SSDA
The California Children’s Education And Health Care Protection Act of 2016, essentially retains the same basic proposals that were made in the original CTA initiative, including providing for the temporary extension of the Prop 30 income tax rates until 2030. However, the compromise initiative also includes an allocation of funds to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) if certain revenue levels are met. Under this new initiative, if the Director of Finance estimates that the revenue generated exceeds the amount of revenue necessary to meet specified funding requirements, 45% of the remaining funds, up to a cap of $2 billion, will be allocated from the Education Protection Account to the DHCS. The measure further provides that any funding allocated to the DHCS can only be used for critical, emergency, acute and preventative healthcare services to children and their families and for health plans that manage the provision of healthcare for Medi-Cal beneficiaries that are contracting with the DHCS to provide the above listed health benefits. The compromise initiative is scheduled to get a title and summary from the Attorney General on February 8th, after which the measure’s proponents will be cleared to start collecting the 585,407 signatures they need for the initiative to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. To the extent that this compromise proposal to extend the Prop 30 taxes leads to combined support from the education and health care communities, and to the abandonment of the two original initiatives, this will certainly improve the chances for success on next November’s ballot.
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January/February 2016
Plan for the future A SMARTER WAY TO USE PROP 39 FUNDS With prop 39 entering its third year, the need to partner with an experienced company who can take you from conception to completion is critical. McKinstry is your single point of accountability for planning, prioritizing, auditing, designing, building, measuring, and reporting on Prop 39 projects. We aim to remove waste, create predictable results, guarantee outcomes, and radically cut costs. Our experience with small school districts is vast and includes building one of the first LEED Silver elementary schools for a district with 89% of students below the poverty line; helping a district of eight schools become one of highest performing schools in the nation, earning recognition as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School; and helping another district earn the Rural School District of the Year
“The McKinstry team was interested in seeing that the job was done correctly and to the satisfaction of our district. While Oak Ridge is a small, rural school district, we are still an important client to McKinstry.” —Dr. Gerald Landewee, Oak Ridge School District
award by the Missouri Association of Rural Education.
415.914.2200 mckinstry.com SSDA
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January/February 2016
